April 27, 2014 - POPE JOHN PAUL II, A SAINT !

Today, April 27, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday, is an epoch-making date in the history of the Catholic Church when two successors of Peter are declared worthy of veneration as "Saints," They are Pope John XXIII who convened the Second Vatican Council in 1963 and the dearly-loved Pope John Paul II of this generation whose pontificate lasted for almost 26 years from 1978 to 2003.

On this blog, I will concentrate on Pope John Paul 11 since I had the opportunity of visiting Wadowice, Poland, his birthplace and also because of my unique encounter with him in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City.

I joined a Jubilee Year 2000 tour to Eastern Europe which included a visit to Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary and Poland, the birthplace of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina who has been called, "Apostle of Divine Mercy." A visit to these great cities of Eastern Europe is an eye-opener even to a seasoned traveler like me who has visited 35 countries of this planet. The rich architectural style of centuries-old Baroque is predominant in this part of Europe. The overall ambiance of these places has a hold on me so soothing to my senses, so remote from the plush and grandeur of Paris, London or Spain. Why? I searched for an answer and found three reasons : my long-time devotion to the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, my inherent love for music which Vienna represents and the indelible imprint of the barracks and "crematorium" in the infamous concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland where six million people largely Jews died during World War II. I may add, the visit to Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland, one of two miraculous Black Madonnas of the world, the other being, Our Lady of Monserrat in Barcelona, Spain.

I found my visit to Wadowice, Poland a most exhilarating experience. At that time, Pope John Paul II was still alive but his home was already a museum. It is located on the second floor of an apartment complex. The wooden floor was kept shiny because visitors had to remove shoes at the door and use large Eskimo-like skis made of palm leaves inside the rooms. Clothes, boots and shoes, kitchen utensils, oars of kayaks which was his favorite sport, etc. were showcased. The myriad paraphernalia  were all neatly displayed with valuable inscriptions that portrayed the youngster who became a successor of Peter. Countless pictures of important events in his life were posted everywhere. The short inscriptions on each one made it possible for us viewers to have an insight of the man who "wore the shoes of the Fisherman." The photo that fascinated me the most was the one when he was around three or four years old attired in a long embroidered gown looking like a sweet little girl with a remarkable twinkle in his eyes and an infectious smile on his face. I guess every onlooker inevitably smiled back at him! It was in the little gift shop on the first floor where I found a fascinating picture of Blessed Mother Mary breast-feeding the Infant Jesus. It was something I never saw in all my travels! I wanted to have more copies but was informed they had only one and I believed what the saleslady said that it must have been meant for me. I was happy and felt privileged to have it!

In one of my earlier visits to Rome, two members of our tour group needed to go to the Vatican office in charge of the distribution of tickets for the weekly Wednesday Papal Audience at St. Peter's Square. It was their first visit to Rome so I offered to accompany them to the office which was near the Trevi Fountain. Through their request, I was also given a ticket which guaranteed a seat in the crowded square. We were lucky to be seated in the first section of reserved seats where the Pope would surely pass. The air was filled with excitement! I guess, like everyone else in the jam-packed square of possibly  25 to 30 thousand pilgrims, my heart was beating furiously fast. To me, just to have a glimpse of the Holy Father in person would certainly be rewarding by itself. Almost with clockwise precision, the sea of humanity rose at the sight of Pope John Paul II standing in an open very slow-moving low cart pulled by a small Fiat. He was shaking hands with the people along the curb of the enclosed section. Our seats were closest the side curb so we chorused our "Thanks be to God" as we awaited the outstretched arms of His Holiness. I was feverish with anticipation and joy! Then it happened! The Pope's right hand clasped mine in a tight warm "embrace." I felt the heat radiate to every cell in my body! It was a flitting handshake that brought tremors of undefinable joy to me! Funny, for a long while, I tried to to keep my right palm free from touching anything so as not to dispel the enchanted aura of that most memorable "embrace." Since then, I held a strong affinity to him and has tenaciously held on to his oft-repeated message of "Be not afraid." Since his elevation to the Communion of Saints, he has become one of my favorite intercessors in heaven. My encounter with St. John Paul II has been one of the most dramatic, unforgettable moments in my life!